One man has died in South Africa and six others are still missing after their boat capsized near Clifton beach, Cape Town.
The country’s National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said reports revealed that the boat capsized in the early hours of Thursday, with 13 people on board.
“The NSRI Bakoven sea rescue craft, Rotarian Schipper, was launched and emergency services responded. No sign of a boat capsized could be found and on investigation with the survivor at Clifton it was determined that a RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) with 13 crew on-board capsized or became waterlogged during the early hours of the morning between Clifton and Oudekraal,” said Lambinon.
An initial investigation revealed that the people on the boat went overboard, Lambinon said.
“An unmanned semi-submerged RHIB was located 2 nautical miles (about 3.7km) offshore of Mouille Point lighthouse and is believed to be the craft that the 13 men had been on,” he said.
Lambinon said a multiparty search led to the discovery of the boat, which was towed to the Police Sea Borderline Control station at Table Bay Port.
“An SA Air Force 22 Squadron Oryx helicopter accompanied by NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue) rescue swimmers and WC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics was tasked by MRCC (Maritime Rescue co-ordination Centre) and joined the operation.
“The man who raised the alarm and who had come ashore at Clifton was not injured and revealed that an additional three men had come ashore and were not injured and they were accounted for,” said Lambinon.
He said during the search, two men were located by the air force helicopter, floating in the water three quarters a nautical mile offshore of Bakoven.
“A rescue swimmer was deployed from the helicopter and secured one of the men and sea rescue craft rendezvoused at that location and secured one man who was taken on board a sea rescue craft.
“Both men, suffering hypothermia, were recovered into the helicopter using a basket hoist and they were airlifted to hospital where they are recovering,” Lambinon said.
During an ongoing search the body of one man was located and taken into the care of the government health forensic pathology services
An inquest docket has been opened, while the search continues for the rest of the missing people, Lambinon said.
